I grew up in a household that emphasized: when you have your health, you have everything. Being healthy seemed the entry ticket to having a full, opportune life. Thank goodness much of the business world has caught up to this way of thinking: we’ve come a long way in emphasizing the value of a healthy lifestyle, rewarding people for better health practices with outcomes based incentives and emphasizing a culture of health.
But move over health, you’re no longer the fairest in the land. A recent study on the correlation between resilience and key health and productivity measures found that resilience is the foundation of success and possibility, with high levels of resilience significantly correlating with better health status; higher job satisfaction, morale, and productivity; and lower stress.
Every person, in every demographic, faces obstacles. In business, no one starts a new job, gets a new boss, or gets reassigned without facing some degree of challenge. Our ability to move ahead with vigor, to see the opportunity that lies within each challenge, is determined by our resilience.
Seth Godin nails it (of course!) in his comments about resilience and its importance: “How easily do you bounce back from a disappointment? What is your reaction to change? As an investor, or a board member or an employee, are you seeking stability or impact? Resilience is a skill, one that's probably more valuable than most.”
Resilience training teaches people to challenge the thoughts and reactions that create distress and can make the difference in moving from behaviors that cause problems to behaviors that work:
• Who manages their chronic illness without some setback in treatment, symptoms, medication adherence, or other factors? Resilience is critical to staying the course, remaining positive, and being proactive in the midst of condition management.
• Who enrolls in a weight management program and loses the precise amount of weight that they want in the time period that they want to without challenges along the way? Resilience is an important part of weight management.
• Who goes through counseling for stress, depression, or a family crisis and does not face impediments? Resilience is crucial to improving behavioral health.
• Who doesn’t get derailed by the small setbacks of the everyday—flight getting cancelled, childcare plans falling apart, computer problems foiling the meeting. Resilience gives people the strength to overcome obstacles and bounce back.
Thank goodness our concept of health and well-being is no longer restricted to the physical. Of course having your health is highly important but our heads are connected to our bodies and getting our head in the game—developing resilience and managing emotional well-being—can make the difference between coping and thriving. And that's the secret sauce for optimal performance.
